Door hanger



June 3, 1930. F, A, LAMM 1,761,215

DOOR HANGER Filed April 22, 1926 l A ijf' /f/ Patented June 3, 1930 UNITED .STATES PAIENr OFFICE y FRANoIs A. LAMM, or AFTON, OKLAHOMA, AssIGNOR ro RIoHARIns-WIIZOOX MANU- FAOTURING COMPANY, OF AURORA, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS DOOR HANGER I Application filed April 22, 1926. Serial No. 103,795.

The present invention relates to door hangers and has particular reference to door hangers designed for sliding or rolling types of doors, such as barn doors, warehouse doors or the like, where the door is hung from an overhead rail along which it rolls or slides.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide an improved door hanger of this type in which the height of the door can be readily adjusted. This adjustment can be given any setting in the original hanging of the door and thereafter if at any time the door should settle, or for any other reason should require raising or lowering, the adjustable construction of this door `hanger will permit such adjustment to be accomplished quickly and easily without the necessity of dismantling the hanger or changing its mounting on the door.

A further object of the invention is' to provide a door hanger which will permit inward or outward swinging movement Vof the door without injury to the door hanger or without causing the roller carriage to bind on the overhead rail. j

A further object is to provide an improved construction of door hanger which can be adapted to doors of different thicknesses, this being of particular advantage assit enables one standard size of hanger to lit universally on practically all types and sizes of doors.

A further object is to provide a door hanger which will be incapable of being assembled or mounted incorrectly, so that there will be no likelihood of a carpenter assembling or mounting the hanger in a wrong relationship of the parts.

A further object is to provide a relatively simple and inexpensive door hanger having the foregoing advantages.

Referring to the accompanying drawing,

illustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the present hanger, a portion of the overhead rail being broken away to illustrate the roller carriage;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken approximately on the plane of the line-22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the door and through the overhead rail for illustrating the door hanger in seotion;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the plane of the line 4 4 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5is a perspective view of the stirrup or yoke in which is mounted the tiltable nut.

One corner of a sliding door is indicated at 7, and an overhead rail or track on which this door has rolling support is indicated at 8. I have only illustrated one door hanger, but it will of course be understood that the other edge of the door'will have a duplicate hanger, or three or more hangers may be provided for supporting an exceptionally long door.

The hanger comprises an upper carriage member 9 which tracks along the overhead rail S, Vand a lower mounting member 11 which is secured to the upper edge of the prises any suitable frame 14 having axles 15 at its ends, on which are journalled pairs of rollers 16. These rollers track on the lower flanges 17 of the overhead rail 8these flanges having upwardly turned edges or lips 18 defining a central slot 19 extending longitudinally of the bottom of the rail. .A vertical boss 21 is formed centrally in the frame 14 between the two pairs of wheels 16-16 and the bolt 12 depends fromy this boss down through the longitudinal slot 19. The upper surface of this boss is formed with one or more notch-like depressions 22 therein and the underside of the bolt head 23 is formed with one or more lugs or projections 24 adapted to drop into this depression or depressions 22. When the weight of the door is suspended on the bolt 12, the bolt is held against rotative movement by engagement of the projection 24 in the recess 22, but by raising the door and taking its weight oli' the bolt 12, the bolt can be revolved freely for effecting the screw-threaded adjustment in the lower mounting member 11.

The lower threaded end of the bolt extends down into a relatively long vert-ical recess 25 bored out in the top of the door. Supported adjacent the upper end of this recess is a nut 26 through which the bolt screws. This nut has pivotal support on an axis extending in the plane of the door so as to per-v mit of the aforesaid swinging movement of the door. To this end, the nut is formed with two oppositely extending pintles or bearing portions 27 which project through holes 28, provided in the sides of a U-shaped stirrup or yoke 29. The lower portion of this yoke extends down into the lower part of the recess 25 so that the suspension bolt 12 can be adjusted through a considerable range of downward movement without interference from the yoke. This yoke or s-t-irrup is preferably a sheet metal stamping and in the assembly of the device the sides of this stirrup can be sprung apart very easily to permit the insertion of the pintle pins 27 into the holes 28,

The upper ends of the yoke are bent laterally to Jf'orm attaching portions 31 by which this yoke is secured in the top of the door. These attaching portions rest in a recess 32 formed in the upper edge of the door.

The yoke is firmly anchored in the top of the door by an inverted U-shaped strap which passes over the tops of the attaching portions 31 and has depending portions which are bolted to the sides of the door. This fastening strap is constructed to. two sections which can be extended or contracted for engaging over doors of different thicknesses. As best shown in Figs. 2 and 4, this strap comprises two inverted L-shaped stampings 34 and 35 having their upper portions 36 and 3.7 extending across the tops of the yoke ends 31 iii-overlapping relation. As shown in Fig. 4, both of these overlapping end portions have central slots 38 and 39 formed therein, which slotsI match and form a 'transversely extending slotted opening through which extends the suspension bolt 12. This opening will per- 1 mit the lateral swinging movement of' the door around the axis of' the pintles 27, as betore described. These overlapping end portions also have matching slots 41 and 42 through which extend fastening bolts 43. These fastening bolts pass up through holes 44 in the en d portions 31 of the yoke and firmly secure the yoke to the strap sections. The slots 41 and 42 permit the two sections of the U-shaped strap to be converged or separated in adapting this strap to different thicknesses of doors.. The upper edge of the door may be provided with recesses 45 for accommodating the heads of the bolts 43. Small lips or flanges 47 are turned upwardly from the ends of the yoke 29 for embracing the sides of the overlapping strap portions 36 and 37. These flanges 47 assist in firmly securing the yoke to the overlapping ends of the strap sections.

The downwardly extending attaching portions of the strap sections 34 and 35 are secured to the sides of' the door by bolts 48 and 49, the upper bolts 48 passing through both strap sections on the opposite sides of the door. In assembling or mounting the hanger, the suspension bolt 12 is screwed down into the nut 26 a distance ap n'opriate to the desired height of the door. This setting will be maintained by the engagement of the projection 24 in the recess as long as the weight of the door is suspended on the bolt 12. By merely raising the door, however, and relieving the bolt of its weight, the projection 24 can be disengaged from the recess 22 and the bolt freely rotated either to raise or lower the door, as desired.

Attention is also directed to the fact that the parts of the device, and particularly the lower mounting member are so proportioned and constructed that it is impossible for a carpenter to assemble the device with the parts in a wrong relation. For example, the tact that the lower endy of the yoke 29 is closed or solid precludes` any assembly of' the parts with the yoke in inverted position. That is to say, if the yoke were assembledwith the attaching portions 3l engaging on the upper sides of the strap ends 36 and 37 and with the U-shaped portion of the yoke extending upwardly, it would be impossible to screw the suspension bolt 12 into the nut 26 because of the closed end ot the yoke, and .hence the carpenter would be apprised that he had the parts assembled erroneously. It will also be observed that the lateral width of the central slot formed by the two cooperating slots 38 and 39 is less than the dimension between the side portions of' the yoke, and hence it would. be impossible for the carpenter to assemble the device with the side portions of the yoke passing up through this central slot and with the attaching portions 31 engaging across the upper sides of the strap ends 36 and 37.

Vhile I have shownl a preferred embodiment of' my invention, it will be understood that this embodiment is merely exemplary and that the invention is not to be limited to this specific construction, except as defined in the appended claims.

Vhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a door hanger of the class described, the combination of a roller carriage4 for traveling along an overhead rail, a suspension bolt depending therefrom, a yoke member adapted to be recessed in the upper edge of the door, a nut threading over said bolt and` having pivotal mounting in said yoke for rocking movement, and a U-shaped structure secured to the sides of the door and comprising a portion extending across the top of said yoke member.

2. In a door hangerof the class described, the combination of a roller carriage for traveling along an overhead rail, a bolt depending therefrom, a yoke member adapted to be recessed in the upper edge of the door, a nut engaging over said bolt and having pivotal mounting in said yoke for lateral rocking movement, and strap sections secured to opposite sides of the door and having portions extending across the top of said yoke member.

3. In a door hanger of the class described, the combination of a roller carriage for traveling along an overhead rail, a bolt depending therefrom, a yoke member adapted to be recessed in the upper edgeof the door, a nut engaging over said bolt and having pivotal mounting in said yoke for rocking movement about an axis extending substantially parallel with the door, strap sections secured to opposite sides of the door and having por` tions extending across the top of said yoke member, said portions overlapping and hav-- ing matching slots therein, and fastening bolts passing through said slots and through said yoke.`

il. In a door hanger of the class described, the combination of a roller carriage for traveling along an overhead rail, a suspension bolt depending therefrom, a yoke member adapted to be recessed in the upper edge of the door and having laterally extending mounting portions, a nut engaging over said bolt and having pivotal mounting in said yoke for rocking movement about an axis extending substantially parallel with the plane of the door, two L-shaped strap sections secured to opposite sides of the doorand having end portions overlapping each other above the lateral mounting portions of said yoke, the end portions of said straps having central slots therein, through which said suspension bolt passes and having lateral slots therein, and fastening bolts passing through said lateral slots and through holes lin the mounting portions of said yoke.

5. In a door hanger of the class described, the combination of an upper member having rollers kthereon for rolling along an overhead rail, a lower member for mounting on the door, a suspension bolt extending between said members, said lower member comprising a yoke recessed in the door, and a nut pivotally carried by said yoke for lateral rocking movement and into which said suspension bolt screws, said yoke comprising a portion precluding its use in inverted position.

6. In a door hanger of the class described, the combination of an upper member having rollers thereon for rolling along anvoverhead rail, a suspension bolt depending from said upper member, a yoke member adapted to be recessed in the upper edge of the door, bolt receiving means pivotally supported by said yoke member for lateral rocking movement and strap means passing over said yoke for vsecuring the latter to the door, said strap means having a slot therein through which said suspension bolt extends, said yoke being wider than the corresponding dimension of said slot to prevent said parts from being erroneously assembled with portions of said `yoke passing out through said slot.

tions, said yoke being adapted to be recessed inthe upper edge of the door, a nut pivotally supported between the sides of said U-shaped portion for receiving said bolt, and a U- shaped structure secured to the sides of the door and comprising supporting means extending across the'uppersides ofthe laterally extending portions of said yoke, said supporting means having a central slot therein through which said suspension bolt extends, said central slot being narrower than the width of the U-shaped portion of said yoke to prevent said U-shaped portion from being passed out throughsaid slot, the end of said U-shaped portion being closed to precludeengagement between said bolt and said nut if said yoke is assembled in inverted position.

8. In a door hanger of the class described, the .combination with'a roller carriage for .traveling along an overhead rail, and a suspension element depending therefrom, of attaching mechanism for suspending the door on said suspension element comprising connecting means pivotally connecting said suspension element to the door for lateral swinging movement of the latter, and strap means adapted to vextend over a portion of said connecting means and to be secured to the door, said attaching mechanism comprising means adapted to prevent said connecting means from being operatively assembled on top of said strap means. Y

9. In a door hanger of the class described, the combination with a roller carriage for traveling along an overhead rail, and a suspension element depending therefrom, of attaching mechanism for suspending the door from the lower end of said suspension element comprising a yoke pivotally connecting the door tot said suspension element for lateral swinging movement of the door about f tening portion of said yoke is assembled on top of said strap sections.

10. In a door hanger of the class described, the combination of a roller carriage for traveling along an overhead rail, a suspension element depending therefrom, a yoke for pivotally connecting said suspension element to the door, and strap means adapted in the proper assembly of the apparatus, to extend over said yoke and to be secured to the door, said yoke comprising means 'for preventing its operative connection With said suspension element if said yoke is assembled on top of said strap means.

11. In a door hanger of the class described, the combination of a roller carriage for traveling along an overhead rail, a suspension bolt depending therefrom, a nut ,screwing over the lower end of said bolt, a yoke adapted to be recessed in the upper edge of the door and having laterally extending attaching portions, means pivotally mounting said nut in said yoke for rocking movement of said yoke relative thereto about an axis extending substantially parallel with the door and means extending over the laterally extending attaching portions of said yoke and securing the same to the door.

12. In a door hanger of the class described, the combination oi' a roller carriage for traveling along an overhead rail, a suspension bolt depending therefrom, a U-shaped yoke, a nut pivotally supported between the sides of said U-shaped yoke for lateral rocking movement, said nut receiving the lower end of said bolt, and strap means adapted in the proper assembly of the apparatus, to extend across the top of said yoke and to be secured to the door, said strap means having a slot therein through which said suspension bolt extends, said slot being narrower than the Width of the U-shaped portion of said yoke to prevent said U-shaped portion from being passed through said slot in the assembly of the apparatus.

13. In combination in door hanging means, an overhead trolley comprising a frame, a door structure, a substantially U-shaped yoke having aligned openings through its arms, a nut having diametrically opposite studs engaging through said openings and pivotally supporting the nut in the arms of the yoke, and a suspension bolt extending through the frame and threaded into the nut.

FRANCIS A. LAMM. 

